Ranking 10 possible candidates for the Colts head coach job

Now what? That’s what Colts fans are asking themselves after Josh McDaniels changed his mind and returned to the Patriots to remain their offensive coordinator. McDaniels’ change of heart put Indy behind schedule with most of the top head coaching candidates already plucked by other teams, but there a plenty of viable options out there to take the job McDaniels decided he didn’t want.

Let’s rank the possible candidates…

1. Jim Schwartz, Eagles def. coordinator

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Everyone just assumes that the Colts will look for an offensive mind to help get Andrew Luck’s career back on track, but former Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel was high on Indy’s list before he took the Titans job. The Colts could very well pick a defensive-minded coach and if they do, there isn’t an option out there better than Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The guy builds good defenses everywhere he goes, and that’s been the weakness of this organization for decades now. If he’s learned his mistakes from his time as a head man in Detroit, Schwartz has top-10 coach potential.

2. Frank Reich, Eagles off. coordinator

Because Doug Pederson was calling the plays, Reich doesn’t get a lot of credit for the Eagles’ offensive success this season. But we made that same mistake with Pederson when he left the Chiefs for Philly. Andy Reid got all the credit for the Chiefs’ offensive success but Pederson has quickly proven he wasn’t just riding Reid’s coattails. If Reich can bring over the Eagles system and adjust it to fit Luck’s game, the Colts will score a lot of points.

3. Jim Bob Cooter, Lions off. coordinator

An uber-talented quarterback dripping with potential who just needs to be reigned in a little and clean up mistakes in order to become a top quarterback? That sound familiar? That was the book on Matthew Stafford before Cooter worked his magic in Detroit. It’s also the book on Luck heading into the 2018 offseason. Luck is a better player now than Stafford was then, so imagine what Cooter can do with him.

4. Bruce Arians, former Cardinals coach

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

Arians said he isn’t coming out of retirement to coach the Colts, but McDaniels has proven that coaches can change their mind in an instant. Arians is the best coach on this list and would probably be the dream scenario for the Colts, but we’ll drop him down a few spots because of the unlikelihood of him coming back.

5. David Shaw, Stanford coach

Obviously you have the Stanford connection between Shaw and Luck, but we’ve seen the Colts try the “Bring Stanford to Luck” approach before when they hired former Cardinal offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton a few years back. That didn’t work out too well.

6. Darrell Bevell, former Seahawks off. coordinator

Bevell got a bad rap in Seattle, where he was forced to put together an offense for a team with no offensive line and a quarterback who works best out of structure. He still churned out productive offenses and showed how to play to a quarterback’s strengths, even if it means altering your scheme. I’m not sure if Bevell has the personality to be a head coach, but he’d put Luck in a good offense.

7. Gary Kubiak, former Broncos coach

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Kubiak probably isn’t coming back to be a head coach, but he has expressed interest in being an offensive coordinator. That’s why he’s low on this list. But I’m including him here because his offense would be a perfect fit for a smart, athletic quarterback like Luck. It may be in the best interest for the Colts to hire a defensive head coach and push him to hire Kubiak as his offensive play-caller.

8. Jack Del Rio, former Raiders coach

Del Rio may not be a coach who is going to get a team over the championship hump, but he has proven he can shape a young roster and turn it into a good team. With the Colts in the middle of a rebuild, they could use a coach like that.

9. Dave Toub, Chiefs special teams coach

I get that Toub has a connection with GM Chris Ballard, having worked together in Kansas City, but it’s hard to get excited about a special teams coach — even if he is one of the best special teams coaches of all-time.

10. Jeff Fisher, former Rams coach

Hahahahahahahaha. No. Don’t even think about it, Indy. Luck has been through enough.

Indianapolis still has plenty of options after Josh McDaniels pulled out at the last second.

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